Cell Phone Website Ignites Privacy Issues

A New Zealand internet media company VideoPxt.com has
developed a web based program that allows people with camera
cell phones to send videos direct from your phone to their
website. Users of their site can send in their MMS videos
either to a private blog that requires membership, or to a
public gallery that does not require a membership.

Camera phone privacy issues have been hotly debated
recently. VideoPxt critics claim that they have created a
medium for the public display of such illicit photos and now
videos without the associated permission. Gavin Humphrey
founder of VideoPxt claim that "video and photos received
for the public gallery are checked before going live with
any questionable image being rejected".

Claims that human reviewers can not filter images that may
be found objectionable for reasons personal to the subject
was rebuked by Mr Humphrey saying "we now live in a world of
live web cameras where images of 'your bad hair day' can be
broadcast with out you knowledge. However, this is not the
purpose of the site, it is meant to be a vehicle to share
fun times with friends, family or the public"

The website also invites members to add comments to any
photo or video showing on the public gallery. It also
provides an opportunity for event organizers to have a
dedicated blog page to help promote their event.

The concept for VideoPxt evolved as a natural progression to
the web log phenomena that has swept the internet in recent
years. In the last year photo blogs have appeared in numbers
but VideoPxt is the result of recent advances in multi media
services and the explosion in video camera phone sales.